March 2018 – Angel Luis Colón

I’ve been trying to tamper down my social media presence on the more wasteful spaces (FB and Twitter primarily. Instagram is an easy set and forget space that I don’t find myself drawn to that often, so whatevs.) and decided to focus a little more on blogging, Medium (which is more for ranting), and my YouTube channel, The Books & Beer Vlogcast.

So first question: why?

Well, while social media is certainly easier to use (and I still will for promos) it’s addictive and exhausting. I want my engagement to actually have some kind of goal accomplished to it beyond clicks and likes. I want to get more words in and really get back into the headspace I was in when I was really writing my ass off and obsessing over craft and my goals.

That’s a pitfall with the marginal level of success I’ve had, it’s easy to start forgetting the real meat of the activity that is writing. More folks solicit than you submit, more folks talk with you and network, more folks read and engage. Then you step back and realize that you’re not working at the level you feel comfortable working at – and that needs changing.

Obviously, this is just my personal experience but I’m certain a lot of folks end up in the same place. It’s not a terrible place, honestly, but I think I’ve overstayed my welcome there.

So anyway, enough of this, I’ve covered it elsewhere but I figured it was a nice preamble to what the point of this entry is: WHORING.

And we got lots to whore about, particularly the release of wonderful project I am very proud to have been a part of; THE NIGHT OF THE FLOOD. You’ll get a fun dose of Blacky Jaguar in this one with, BAD DAY TO BE THE BAD GUY. Had a blast putting that story together.

cover-aymar-chen-night-flood-300x450px — That’s a pretty cover!

Here’s the riot act:

“Each of the 14 varied and fitfully amusing stories in this solid anthology takes as its starting point the destruction of a dam and the subsequent flooding of Everton, PA. Aymar and Chen deserve kudos for putting together a distinctive anthology.” —Publishers Weekly

It happened the night Maggie Wilbourne was to be put to death, the first woman executed by the state of Pennsylvania in modern times. That was when a group of women passionately protesting Maggie’s imprisonment struck. They blew up a local dam, flooding the town of Everton and indirectly inspiring a hellish night of crime and chaos.

Fourteen of today’s most exciting contemporary crime writers will take you to the fictional town of Everton, with stories from criminals, cops, and civilians that explore the thin line between the rich and the poor, the insider and the outsider, the innocent and the guilty. Whether it’s a store owner grimly protecting his property from looters, an opportunistic servant who sees her time to strike, or two misguided youths taking their anger out against any available victim, The Night of the Flood is an intricate and intimate examination of the moment when chaos is released—in both society and the human spirit.

Contributors: E.A. Aymar, Rob Brunet, Sarah M. Chen, Angel Luis Colón, Hilary Davidson, Mark Edwards, Gwen Florio, Elizabeth Heiter, J.J. Hensley, Jennifer Hillier, Shannon Kirk, Jenny Milchman, Alan Orloff, and Wendy Tyson.

Praise for THE NIGHT OF THE FLOOD:

“Plenty of complex characters and hard edges. Take a breath, then hang on and enjoy this entertaining romp.” —Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author

“Bravo to all the authors who contributed to The Night of the Flood, a collection of brilliant short stories about residents of the dysfunctional town of Everton who are thrust into the turbulence of decisions that will forever change who they thought they were. A stormy page-turner that will leave you wanting more.” —Sandra Brannan, author of the award-winning Liv Bergen Mystery Series

“A brilliant, multi-leveled concept, Faulknerian in its structure. A novel in stories. Wow. Fourteen exciting crime writers create a rare three-dimensional mosaic of a doomed town and the night hell flooded through it. Terrifically exciting. Wonderfully inventive.” —David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author of Murder As a Fine Art

“A brave concept brilliantly executed.” —Lee Child, bestselling author of the Jack Reacher Series

“An impressive collection of stories from some of the most talented writers working in the crime genre today.” —BOLO Books Review

I honestly can’t recommend this book more – admittedly, I’m biased, but still!

In other VERY cool news, tomorrow sees the cover reveal for my next release, PULL & PRAY over at BOLO Books! Here’s a little more about the return of my heroine (well, sort of) Fantine Park and what she’s been up to since the disastrous heist detailed in the Anthony-nominated NO HAPPY ENDINGS:

Five years after surviving the most harrowing heist of her life, Fantine Park is lured back to the United States by her estranged Aunt Matty, a a freewheeling con artist with all the right connections and all the wrong ideas. The bait: a lead on the identity of her mother’s killer and a score known as the ‘pension plan’, a piece of software that can literally pay out in perpetuity if they can get their hands on it in time.

Working with a team of actual professionals with their own motivations; Fan’s loyalties and beliefs will be tested as nothing is as it seems; especially when one of the members of this crew may have been the last person to see her mother alive.

It’s going to be lies, murder, and gas station hot dogs all the way down as Fan races to get the answers about the day her mother died and maybe, just maybe, the kind of cash that will pull her away from a continued life of crime.

I’ll have more on that soon – including a release date (which you’ll find out tomorrow as well).

In other wonderful news, the wonderful Greg Herren was kind enough to choose my story, MUSCLE MEMORY, to include in this year’s Bouchercon Anthology, SUNNY PLACES, SHADY PEOPLE, a Florida-focused selection of mystery and noir stories.

Criminy, check this TOC:

Patricia Abbott, “When Agnes Left Her House”
J.D. Allen – Mystery Author, “The Unidentifieds”
Jack Bates, “The Fakahatchee Goonch”
Lawrence Block, The Burglar Who Strove to Go Straight*
Susanna Calkins, Author, “Postcard for the Dead”
Reed Farrel Coleman, “The Ending”
Angel Luis Colón, “Muscle Memory”
Hilary Davidson Books, “Mr. Bones”
Brendan DuBois, “Breakdown”
John Floyd, “Frontier Justice”
Barb Goffman, “The Case of the Missing Pot Roast”
Greg Herren, “Cold Beer No Flies”
Eleanor Cawood Jones, “All Accounted for at the Hooray for Hollywood Motel”
John D. MacDonald, “The Hangover”
Paul D. Marks “There’s an Alligator in My Purse”
Craig Pittman, “How to Handle a Shovel”
Neil Plakcy’s Books, “Southernmost Point”
Alex Segura, “Quarters for the Meter”
Debra Lattanzi Shutika, “Frozen Iguana”
Holly West Books, “The Best Laid Plans”
Michael Wiley, “Winner”

I’m super excited for folks to read what’s effectively the finale for my character, Sean Clarke (SEPARATION ANXIETY, FIRST-TIMER’S CLUB, MY HEART DIED ON BLACKROCK AVE. – all in my collection MEAT CITY ON FIRE (AND OTHER ASSORTED DEBACLES)). Doesn’t mean I’m done with Sean, but you’re going to find out his heartbreaking end.

Also: it’s really fucking cool to be published alongside Lawrence Block twice in one year. The man’s a goddamn writing hero of mine and I cannot be more humbled.

Lastly, I started a YouTube channel (as mentioned above). Come on over and check out what I’m inaccurately calling The Books & Beer Vlogcast. I talk craft, books, and read from stuff I like over a single beer. It’s more of a therapy session for me without the drama but the response has been fun so far and I think folks won’t hate hearing me drone on for a 20-30 minute stretch (it helps that I’m pretty and have an A++ t-shirt game).

Here’s a little trailer if I’ve caught a whiff of interest.

And that’s that!

Be easy, loves.

Angel

Angel Luis Colón

Month: March 2018

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